Shiftable conveyer.



PATENTED JULY 3, 1906.

J. E. CAMP.

SHIFTABLE GONV'EYER.

APPLIOATIOK FILED JUNE 15, 1905.

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onrrnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SHIFTABLE QONVEYER- Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed June 15, 1905. Serial No. 265,300.

Patented July 3, 1906.

ington, in the county of Tazewell and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shiftable Conveyers and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to distributing-conveyers for use in barns, granaries, and other buildings where grain is to be stored in various bins.

The invention has particular reference to conveyers which are shiftable in the direction of their lengths in order to provide for the distributing operation.

The invention is also adaptable to the handling of ores in mining countries, as well as for grain, and may be used for other purposes where distribution of materials is wanted.

The object of the invention is to provide a shifting conveyer of the most simple form to be stationed above the bins to be sup lied with rain and driven by means of the e evator which carries grain thereto. Another object of the invention is to provide a conveyer that may be shifted to any place desired and requiring no locking device for sustaining it in the position placed.

Another object is to provide a shifting conveyer and a shaft extending its entire length to which motion is imparted from the elevator which carries the grain thereto, said shaft adapted to slide through the means that drives it.

A further object is the improvement of this class of conveyers generally.

In the appended drawings, Figure 1 is an end elevation of a portion of a building, showing my conveyer as seen from one end with the head of an elevator overhanging it.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the conveyer, showing driving means and an elevator in connection therewith, said figure also showing the ridgepole of the buildin from which a supporting-track is suspended and on which the conveyer slides or travels. Fig. 3 is a side view of gearing and clutch mechanism for reversing the motion of ,belt travel of the conveyer. Fig. 4 is a side view of a s rocket-wheel mounted on the conveyer-sha shownin end section, the wheel having a drivingchain thereon. Fig. 5 is a face view of a beveled gear-Wheel, s owing its slotted hub. Fig. 6

is a pore ective view of a shifting-clutch member or reversing the movement of the conveyer-belt.

The conveyer is indicated by the letter A, being of any desired length suspended on a track B B, supported from the top of the building by rod members C C. Said con veyer is suspended on said track by means of hangers D, attached thereto and carrying suitable rollers or wheels E to properly fit said track. A bottom F or belt-support is stationed within the conveyer, and at each end is a roller G, over which runs a belt H, adapted for runnin in either direction. The rollers are provide with suitable bearings,- which are not shown, the shaft of one of them extending through the side of the conveyer and provided with a beveled gear J.

At one side of the conveyer is a shaft K, extending the entire length thereof and mounted. in bearings L L. The end of the shaft adjacent to the gear J is provided with two beveled gears M N, each of which meshes with the said gear J, both being loose on the shaft. Upon the latter, between the gears M N, is placed a sleeve 0, having projecting lugs P at each end, designed to enternotches Q in the adjacent hubs of the said gears M and N, as indicated. Said sleeve is designed to turn with the shaft, but is shiftable thereon, there being a key R in the sleeve to slide within a key-seat S, extending the entire length of the said shaft K. v

The exterior surface of the sleeve has two annular integral collars-T, between which a shifting fork U is located, said fork being pivoted to a bracket V, secured'to the side of the conveyer. At W is an elevator for raising grain into the conveyer for its distribution to the various bins to be supplied. Hangers 2 are attached to the elevator and secured to the rafters under the roof of the building and serve to rigidly support the elevator in position, the latter being located at about the middle of the building in practice.

The discharge-op ening of the elevator over hangs the conveyer, and its shaft 3 carries a sprocket-wheel 4. Below said wheel 4 and carried on the elevator by arms 5, forming a bearing, is a sprocket-wheel 6, through which the shaft K extends, there being a key 7 in ITO , other of the wheels M N.

provided to run over the wheels 4 and 6 for transmitting motion from the former to the latter.

The elevator is driven by means of a chain 9 or other suitable means,which drives the said shaft 3 and the shaft K through said sprocket 6. The revolution of the latter shaft Will not affect the conveyor-belt unless the sleeve O is in engagement with one or the It will be evident that the conveyor will be driven in one direction or the other, depending upon which of the gears is engaged by the continuously-revolving sleeve.

At 10 and 1.1 are'pulleys located, preferably, at each end of the building, but not shown so placed, and over each pulley runs a rope 12, one end beingattached to the conve er and the other hanging down within reac of an operator on the floor of the building. When it is desired to move the conveyer along its track to discharge into a certain bin, the rope is pulled to shift said conveyor in the proper direction, seas to place the latter above the particular bin. A ropei3 is attached to the free end of-the fork U and-hangs down within reach of the operator, who when he is ready to start the conveyer moves the said fork to engage the desired gear that will drive the eonveyenbelt in the needed direction to dischar e the rain where wanted.

V h h lhe elevator may run continuously and may lilowise drive the conveyor-belt continuously, if desired, through the gearing described. The gear 6 its loosely on the shaft K, so that the shaft can shift through it from end to end, the bearing 5 holding the gear in a fixed position. The belt ll travels along on top of the member F, and the grain being deposited thereon is carried to the end of the conveyor and discharged. It will be seen that locking means is unnecessary in this conveyor for preventing it shifting along its track, since it will remain where placed by reason of the driving-gears being located on the eonveyer, whereas in some conveyors of this class the driving mechanisn'i has been placed on some stationary structure adjacent thereto.

I do not wish to confine myself to the particular arrangement and structure shown in the drawings, since I could employ equivalent means to accomplish the same results, as will be understood.

I claim 1. A graindistributor consisting of a conve verbod a" track from which it is hung and .along which it isdesigned to travel, a conveyor-belt within the conveyer-body, a pair of rollers forv carrying the conveyor-be t,'a gear-wheel on the shaft of one of the rollers outside the conveyor, a power-driven shaft journaled on the side of the conveyor at ri rht angles to the rollers and extending the full length of the conveyer, a pair of gear-wheels on the shaft se arately adapted to engage the gear of the rol er-shaft, both said gears being free of the shaft, the latter being free to turn within the gears, a clutch on the shaft adapted to lock with one gear or the other to operate the conveyerebelt in a desired direction,

the said clutch and gears having fixed relation with the conveyer and a lever for shifting the clutch on the shaft substantially as described. c

2. Agrain-distribirter consisting of a convey erbody, an overhead track from which it is hung and along which. it is designed to travel, a conveyor-belt Within the conveyerbody, a pair of rollers for carrying the belt, a gear-wheel for driving the conveyer-belt, a power-driven shaft journaled on the side of the conveyer-body parallel therewith and extending the full length thereof, a pair of gear-wheels on the shaft in mesh with the gear-wheel of the conveyor-belt and in which the said shaft is free to turn, a clutch on the shaft between the gears and driven by said shaft and adapted to engage either gear, a lever for shifting the clutch to engage the desired gear to cause that gear to turn with the shaft and drive the conveyer-belt in the desired direction, the belt receiving motion whether the conveyeris at rest or shifting along its track.

3. A grain-distributor consisting of a 0on veyer-body, an overhead track from which it is hung and along which it is designed to travel, a conveyer-belt within the conve erbody, a pair of rollers for carrying the be t, a

gear-wheel for driving the conveyer-belt, a

power-driven shaft'journaled on the side of the conveyer-body, a pair of gear-wheels on the shaft in mesh with the gear-wheel of the conveyor-belt and in whichthe said shaft is free to turn, a clutch on the shaft between the gears and driven by said shaft and adaptedto engage either gear, a lever for shiftin the clutch to engage the esired gear to cause that gear to turn with the shaft and drive the conveyor-belt in the desired direction, the belt receivin motion whether the conveyor is at rest or shifting along its track, an'elevator for dischar ing grain upon the belt, a wheel on theshaft, driving connection be tween the elevator and the saidwheel, there being a key in the wheel and --a keyway inthe shaft, the latter adapted to shift through the wheel while being driven by said wheel as described.

4. A grain-distributer consisting of a convever-body, an overhead track from which it -is hung and along which it is designed to travel, a conveyorbelt within the eonveyer.

body, a pair of rollers for carrying the belt, a.

gear-wheel for driving the conveyer-belt, "a power-driven shaft journaled on the side of the conveyenbody, a pair of gear-wheels on the shaft in mesh with the gear-wheel of the conveyor-belt and in which the saidshaft is is at rest or shifting along its track, and arope at each end of the conveyor for shifting.

the latter on its track to place said conveyer at any point thereon without locking means.

5. A grain-distributor consisting of a con veyer-body, an overhead track from which it is hung and along which it is designed, to travel, a conveyer-belt within the convey rbody, a pair of rollers for carrying the belt, a gear-wheel for driving the conveyer-belt, a

' power-driven shaft journaled on the side of the Tconveyer-body, a pair of gearwheels on the shaft 111 mesh with the gear-Wheel of the conveyer-belt and in which the said shaft is free to turn, a clutch on the shaft between the gears and driven by said shaft and adapted to engage either gear, a lever for shifting the clutch to enga ethe desired gear to cause that gear to turn wlth the shaft and drive the con veyer-belt in the desired direction, the belt receiving motion whether the conveyer is at rest or shifting along its track, an elevator for discharging grain upon the belt, a wheel on the shaft, driving connection between the elevator and the said wheel, there being a key in the Wheel and a keyway in the shaft, the latter adapted to shift through the wheel While being driven by said Wheel, and a rope at each end of the conveyer for shifting it along its track for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH E. CAMP.

lNitnesses:

E. J. ABERSOL,

L. M. THURLO 

